There were two ways to remove the蛊虫 (gu worm), one was for the person who administered the蛊虫 to provide the antidote, and the other was to kill the mother worm.
Nan Shiying didn't care about Yin Silan's life or death, but she knew that Ji Jinmo did. Her value lay in staying alive, not in dying. Therefore, after Yin Silan explicitly stated she would not cure Ji Jinmo, Nan Shiying chose a live dissection.
She extracted and killed the mother worm, sparing Yin Silan's life.
Of course, the outcome was yet unknown.
After stitching up the heart and abdomen, Nan Shiying checked Yin Silan's condition. Her breath was faint, with more air escaping than entering, but fortunately, she hadn't died immediately.
Nan Shiying let out a sigh and straightened her aching back.
...
Mu Baiyu squatted by the prison cell, placing plates of food before Lan Yue'er.
After Yin Silan was captured, Lan Yue'er had been apprehended!
Yin Silan had thought things through quite well. She had intended to hang the true Empress Dowager, creating the illusion that 'she' had committed suicide by hanging, then kill Cui Ping. She would have another assassin impersonate Cui Ping, and then Yin Silan herself would go to the Lilan Palace to secretly kill Lan Yue'er and take her place.
This way, even if Ji Hong discovered that the true Empress Dowager wasn't her, he would assume that the person impersonating Cui Ping was also her, thereby deceiving everyone and remaining hidden in the palace once more.
However, Yin Silan hadn't anticipated that Ji Hong had already set a trap, and she hadn't been able to escape Jingren Palace at all. Even less did she expect that Lan Yue'er had been exposed long ago!
Because of Ji Jinmo, Ji Hong had let Mu Baiyu go.
A person who already knew his secrets posed little threat. He had intended to use Mu Baiyu to find out where Lan Yue'er was hiding, but before this pawn could be utilized, Mu Baiyu became useless.
From the time Mu Baiyu was afflicted with the love蛊 (gu worm) to Yin Silan's exposure, less than two months had passed. So many events had occurred in this short period that many of the planned strategies had failed to come into play.
However, it could be said that the Lin Yuan royal family had achieved a great victory.
Not only had they eradicated the Miao Jiang remnants hidden in the royal manor and the palace, but they had also purged Jian'an Temple, discovered the Longevity Sect, annihilated the Zhuyu Gang, and became aware of the unrest in Yuzhou Commandery. As for Xiliang... aside from that list and the deaths of a few assassins, Xiliang had suffered almost no losses in this struggle.
Lan Yue'er didn't stand on ceremony with Mu Baiyu, taking the chopsticks and starting to eat.
Whether she lived or not wasn't up to Mu Baiyu; it depended on whether she still had any value. However... Lan Yue'er thought for a moment and then said to Mu Baiyu, "I administered the love蛊 (gu worm) to you. The person who instructed me to do so was Nan Zhaoyin."
Mu Baiyu grunted in acknowledgment.
"You know?" Lan Yue'er was somewhat surprised. Mu Baiyu's reaction clearly indicated he knew, but what was he going to do?
Mu Baiyu nodded, "I know!"
He had known about this from the very beginning. When he first encountered Lan Yue'er, he had lost all reason, doing whatever she said. But after eating the medicine Wei Yuan gave him, he had broken free from that controlled feeling. His soul felt as though it had been torn apart; he could feel his affection for Lan Yue'er on one hand, and on the other, he clearly understood that it was all because of the蛊虫 (gu worm) in his body.
However, later, after Lan Yue'er left the Cold Palace and infiltrated the Lilan Palace, she never contacted Mu Baiyu again. Therefore, Mu Baiyu had no way of knowing that she had become Zou Yun'er's personal maid.
But none of that mattered now.
Lan Yue'er thought for a moment, not dwelling on why Mu Baiyu knew, but instead asking him, "If I cure your蛊毒 (gu poison), can you ask the Emperor to spare my life?"
The love蛊 (gu worm) had been administered by Lan Yue'er, so she could feel any abnormalities. This was also why she hadn't contacted Mu Baiyu after infiltrating the Lilan Palace.
And it was also why, upon hearing that Mu Baiyu knew everything, she hadn't pressed him further.
Mu Baiyu replied, "I cannot!"
Lan Yue'er sighed. If not for the蛊虫 (gu worm) backlash when she came of age, she should be in Dali now. Dali was their true enemy.
Lan Yue'er couldn't understand why Yin Silan was lurking in Lin Yuan instead of Dali.
Attempting to control Lin Yuan to wage war against Dali with the nation's power – was that realistic?
Lan Yue'er found Yin Silan's actions incomprehensible. She thought for a moment, making a final plea, "Then can you help me pass on a message? I wish to meet His Majesty."
"Alright!"
...
Yin Silan was being monitored by Wei Yuan, while Nan Shiying returned to the royal manor with the蛊虫 (gu worm).
After Doctor Du finished taking Ji Jinmo's pulse, his expression turned grim. Nan Shiying's smile vanished the moment she saw his脸色.
"What is it?" she asked.
Doctor Du looked at Nan Shiying, appearing hesitant to speak.
"Say it!" Nan Shiying urged, a hint of impatience in her voice.
Doctor Du organized his thoughts and then said, "The蛊毒 (gu poison) in Ji Jinmo's body is still present. One possibility is that his offspring worms have become established within his body, breaking free from the mother worm's control. Another possibility is... that the mother worm corresponding to the offspring worms in his body is not the one from Yin Silan."
Nan Shiying's face immediately turned ugly. Ji Jinmo, however, maintained a calm demeanor, showing no outward emotional fluctuation, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
"I understand!"
Nan Shiying took a deep breath, calming herself.
Doctor Du glanced at the couple. When it came to composure, no one in this world could match these two. However, he worried that Nan Shiying was merely putting on a brave face. He patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, I will resolve the蛊虫 (gu worm) in his body before I die."
Feeling Doctor Du's concern, Nan Shiying smiled and said, "Old man, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Besides this solution, there is another."
"What?" Doctor Du asked, bewildered. "Find the person who truly administered the蛊毒 (gu poison) to him?"
Nan Shiying nodded, then shook her head. Before she could speak, Ji Jinmo interjected, "Kill all the Miao Jiang people except for you."
Doctor Du's mouth gaped open, and he looked at Ji Jinmo in utter shock. Catching sight of the smile spreading across Nan Shiying's lips, he picked up his teacup and took a large gulp of tea.
Good heavens!
These two were so ruthless and in such perfect sync.
So that was the method!
What a pair of killers!
After finishing the entire cup of tea, Doctor Du finally recovered, but he felt no resistance to what they had said.
Kill them, why not!
After all, since he had left Miao Jiang, he was no longer a Miao Jiang person.
Furthermore, his brothers and sisters, parents and friends, had long since turned to dust. As for the lives of the current surviving Miao Jiang people, what did it matter to him?
"I'll take this. Old man, I won't disturb you and your wife any longer!" Doctor Du slowly put down his teacup, picked up the wooden box beside him, gave the couple a teasing look, and walked out with his hands behind his back, strolling as if in his own courtyard.
Nan Shiying glared at Doctor Du. This old man was truly incorrigible!